Baggage register for porters



Sept. 15, 1942. F. RUSSELL 2,296,191

BAGGAGE REGISTER FOR PORTERS Filed Feb. 24, 1941 Arromvsrs Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,296,191 BAGGAGE REGISTER FOR PORTERS George F. Russell, Richmond Hill, N. Y. Application February 24, 1941, Serial No. 380,234

2 Claims.

This invention has general reference to indieating and registering devices and refers more particularly to a register for indicating the number of pieces of baggage being carried by a porter and for counting the total number of pieces carried over a given period of time.

Under the present practice, porters in railway, air and bus terminals are paid by the terminal on an hourly or daily basis with each piece of baggage carried being charged for and the fees collected becoming the property of the porters employer. Under this system, porters are usually provided with baggage checks and stubs, the checks being attached to the baggage as a receipt for the fees and the stubs being turned in by the porter together with the fees collected.

The present invention comprehends a baggage register adapted to be worn by a porter and provided with means adapted to be manually set by the porter for displaying indicia corresponding to the number of pieces of baggage being carried, together with means for counting the total number of pieces carried over a given period of time.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention is set forth in greater detail in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the baggage register worn by a porter.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with parts broken away and shown in section to disclose the underlying structure.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, l designates generally a baggage register casing having a front wall I I, a marginal wall [2 and a rear wall l3, the latter being provided with belt loops l4 for mounting the register on the porters belt.

The front wall I I of the casing is provided with a window opening l which is preferably covered by a transparent panel I6 to exclude dust, dirt, moisture or other foreign matter from entering the window opening while affording a clear view therethrough.

The rear wall of the casing has secured thereto and protruding forwardly from the center thereof, a fixed stub shaft H which has mounted thereon for turning movement with reference thereto a sleeve l8 which is provided at the forward end with a radial arm I9. Adjacent its rear end, the sleeve is formed with an annular series of outwardly projecting ratchet teeth and mounted on the forward end in front of the arm I9 is a disk-like dial element 2| which is secured to the sleeve for turning movement therewith. The dial 2| is provided on its forward face with a circumferentially spaced series of indicia or numerals 22 adapted to be selectively displayed through the window opening l5 as the dial is rotated, it being understood that the indicia corresponding to the number of pieces of baggage being carried will be displayed. The

' dial 2| is also formed with a peripheral notch 23 between the lowest and highest number and the register is so constructed and arranged as to normally dispose the notched portion 23 of the dial in registry with the window opening in the manner and for the purpose hereafter described.

The sleeve I8 is surrounded by a coiled spring 25, one terminal 26 of which is anchored to a stop element 21 and the other terminal of which is anchored to the sleeve to exert a tension thereon so as to effect counter-clockwise turning movement of the sleeve and dial to normally engage the arm 19 with the stop element 21 thereby disposing the notch portion 23 of the dial in registry with the window opening I5 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The rear wall 13 of the casing has secured on the lower portion of the forward face thereof a counter 30 of any of the standard types provided with number disks and provided with a shaft 3| having an actuator arm 32 which, when rocked in opposite directions, actuates the number disks to display the total number of actuations. The rear wall I3 also has mounted thereon and projecting forwardly therefrom, a bell or equivalent audible signal 33 and a clapper 34 carried by an arm 35 fulcrumed at 36 and tensioned by a spring 31 to engage the bell for sounding the same when the clapper is swung away from the bell and released.

In order to provide a common means for turning the dial 2|, actuating the counter 30 and sounding the bell or audible signal 33, a reciprocatory slide bar 40 is mounted within the casing for transverse guided sliding movement in a bearing 4| and the same is normally retracted by a spring 42 adjacent one end thereof. The opposite end 43 of the slide bar is connected with a pull stem 44 extending through the marginal wall l2 of the casing and protruding therefrom and provided with a manipulating knob 45. The slide bar carries a pair of pivoted spring pressed dogs 46 and 41, the former of which is adapted upon each movement of the slide bar to the left to engage with one of the ratchet teeth 20 to turn the sleeve l8 and the dial 2| apredetermined distance to successively display the indicia 22 through the window opening |5. Simultaneously with each movement, the dog 41 engages the terminal 48 of the clapper arm 35 to trip the same and sound the bell or audible signal 33. The slide bar also carries an angularly disposed flange 49 having a notch 50, the opposite end edges of which notch define shoulders 5| and 52 which are disposed for movement in a path to alternately engage the actuator arm 32 of the counter 30.

In order to releasably retain the sleeve I8 and dial 2| against retrograde or counter-clockwise movement upon each actuation of the slide bar, a detent member 55 is provided which is mounted for guided sliding vertical movement in the casing in a bearing 55 secured to the rear wall 23 thereof. The detent 55 is provided with an angularly disposed terminal 5! at its upper end and a spring 58 normally urges the detent 55 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 29 of the sleeve i8. A pull stem 59 is attached to the angular terminal 5? of the detent and extends through an opening in the marginal wall |2 of the casing and is provided with a manipulating knob 63 In use and operation, the dial 2| is normally set by the engagement of the arm i9 with the stop 2? so that the notched portion 23 registers with the window opening I5. notch in al gnment with the number disks on the counter 3) so that the total may be read. When the porter is engaged to carry one or more pieces of he is required to manipulate the slide bar 4?! by pulling outwardly on the manipulatknob 5 to set the dial 2| to display through the indow opening the indicia or number 22 which corresponds to the number of pieces of Jaggage being carried. Each outward pull on the knob 45 and pull stem 44 will turn the sleeve l8 the distance of one ratchet tooth to successively display the numbers or indicia 22 at the same time the bell or audible signal 33 will be sounded and simultaneously the shoulders 5| and 52 will successively engage with the manipulating arm 32 of the counter 30 to register thereon each manipulation of the slide bar 40 so that the total number carried during a given period of time may be estimated by readings on the counter. After each engagement, the porter resets the register by pulling outwardly on the manipulating knob 82 to retract the detent 55.

This disposes the This releases the detent from engagement with the ratchet teeth 20 and permits the spring 25 to turn the sleeve |8 in a counter-clockwise direction until the arm l9 again engages the stop element 21 thus disposing the notched portion 23 again in registery with the window opening |5.

From the foregoing it is thus apparent that a baggage register has been devised by means of which the number of pieces being carried on each engagement is clearly displayed and by means of which the total pieces carried over a given period of time may be estimated by the employer.

What is claimed is:

1. In a baggage register for porters, a casing having a window, a counter within the casing having indicia bearing faces aligned with the window for display therethrough, an indicia bearing element having an opening therethrough and havingthe indicia thereon and the said opening spaced relative to each other, said element being so mounted for movement within the casing as to selectively dispose either the indicia thereon or said opening in alignment with the window so as to display the indicia on said element when said indicia is in alignment with the window and to display the indicia on the counter faces through said opening and window when the opening is disposed in alignment with the 'window and counter, and a common manipulating means for actuating the counter and indicia bearing element in unison.

2. In a baggage register for porters, a casing having a window, a counter within the casing having indicia bearing faces aligned with the window for display therethrough, an indicia bearing element having an opening therethrough and having the indicia and said opening spaced relative to each other, said element being so mounted for movement within the casing as to selectively dispose either the indicia thereon or said opening in alignment with the window so as to display the indicia on said element when said indicia is in alignment with the window and to display the indicia on the counter faces through said opening and window when the opening is disposed in alignment with the window and counter, a normally retracted reciprocatory bar mounted within the casing for guided sliding movement and having an exposed manipulating terminal, and interengageable means on said bar and on said indicia bearing element and said counter for effecting manipulation of the counter and indicia bearing element in unison upon movement of said reciprocatory bar in one direction.

GEORGE F. RUSSELL. 

